Sai Krok Isan

Mix the pork, fat, rice, garlic, salt, sugar, pepper and fish sauce and knead for 5 minutes.

Fry a teaspoon of the mixture and taste it. It should be noticeably saltier than you want, because fermentation will soften that.

💡 Under-salted sausage does not ferment safely — the salt is what keeps the wrong bacteria out while the right ones work. This is not a place to reduce the salt.

Stuff the casings loosely and tie into 4 cm links. Prick each one twice with a pin.

Hang or lay them in a warm shaded place, 28–32°C, for 3 days, turning daily. They are ready when they smell distinctly sour.

💡 Shade, and airflow, and no direct sun. If your kitchen runs below 25°C give it four or five days instead and judge it by smell, never by the calendar.

Grill over medium-low coals for 15 minutes, turning often, until the skin browns and splits.

💡 Low and slow. High heat blackens the casing while the rice inside is still cold, and rice is what takes the longest to heat through.

Serve straight off the grill with raw cabbage, ginger coins and whole chillies.